Brake mechanism for drying and aerating machines.



J. A. SPARKS & C. E. & W. M. CLARK. BRAKE MECHANISM FOR DRYING AND AERATING MACHINES.

APPLiCATION FILED JAN. I6, [918.

Patented Dec. 17, 1918.

JONAS A. SPARKS, CHARLES E. CLARK, AND WILLIAM M. CLARK, OF ELK CITY, KANSAS.

BRAKE MECHANISM FOR DRYING AND AERA'IING MACHINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 17, 1918.

Original application filed June 22, 1917, Serial No. 176,449. Divided and this application filed. January 16,

1918. Serial No. 212,122.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JONAS A. SPARKS, CHARLEs E. CLARK, and WILLIAM M. CLARK, citizens of the United States, residing at Elk City, in the county of Montgomery and State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Brake Mechanism for Drying and Aerating Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved brake mechanism for drying and aerating machines, being a division of our pending application for drying and aerating machines, filed June 22, 1917, Serial Number 176,449.

The invention has as its primary object to provide an arrangement wherein the braking mechanism will be mounted upon the base of the device in position out of the way and adapted to be foot operated for controlling the rotary movement of the basket of the machine.

The invention has as a further object to provide a braking mechanism employing a brake band, and wherein said band will also form a wear strip for the brake lever employed.

And the invention has as a still further object to provide an especially simple form of braking mechanism while, at the same time, said mechanism will prove entirely eflicient.

Other and incidental objects will appear as the description proceeds. In the drawings wherein we have illustrated the preferred embodiment of the invention, and wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views:

Figure 1 is a bottom plan view showing the mounting of the several elements of the brake mechanism upon the base of a drying and aerating machine of the type disclosed in our pending application referred to,

Fig. 2 is a sectional View taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1 and looking in the direction of the arrows, this view showing the manner in which the brake band employed is secured at its inner end.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view illustrating the brake lever in detail, and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view more particularly showing the dispo- 1s)ition of the brake mechanism beneath the ass.

In order that the brake mechanism of the present invention may be clearly understood we have, in the drawings, shown such mechanlsm in connection With a portion of a drying and aerating machine of the type disclosed in our pending application previously identified. This machine includes a base provided with sills 10 having a floor 11 mounted thereon and secured beneath the floor is a cross strip 50. The lower extremity of a driven shaft 41 projects loosely through the floor as well as through this strip. At its upper end, this shaft carries a basket, not shown, adapted to be rotated by the shaft and associated with the lower end of the shaft is the improved brake mechanism for controlling the rotary motion of the shaft. This brake mechanism includes a disk 51 which is detachably fixed to the lower end of the shaftto confront the cross strip 50. Partially surrounding this disk is a brake band 52 secured at one end, as particularly shown in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings, to a block 53 mounted beneath the floor 11 of the base at one edge of the cross strip. The opposite extremity of this brake band is connected to a rock lever 54 pivoted upon a hanger bracket 55 secured to the underside of the floor to span the cross strip. The brake band preferably extends the entire length of the inner edge of the said lever to provide a wear strip 56 therefor and the free end of this wear strip is, as shown in detail in Fig. 4, bent around the outer extremity of the lever. Connected at one end to the free extremity of the lever is a spring the opposite end of which is secured in any approved manner to one of the sills 10 of the base. As will be clear, this spring will normally act to pivot the lever 54 for expanding the brake band 52 away from the disk 51 and projecting downwardly from the cross strip 50 to engage the brake band adjacent the inner end of the lever is a stop pin 58 for limiting the lever in its pivotal movement under the influence of the said spring. Mounted upon the floor 11 above the free extremity of the lever 54 is a foot lever 59. This foot lever is pivotally mounted upon a suitable bracket secured to the said floor and is provided. with an angularly disposed arm 60 projecting loosely through the floor in front of the free extremity of the lever 54 to engage the wear strip 56 thereon. Accordingly, by de- While,- at the-samtimdjthe saichnechanism will proveentirely-efficient in. use.

In operation, clothes are placed within the basket 38 When the said basket is rotated ,by -means .otthe crank .21; asupreviously described. Moisture in -.the..oloth-es will .thus

be quickly extracted. therefrom. "At the same time,rotation iofithebasket williset up infloivi'mg currents .of freshair through the spout 80- to be discharged directly. .against the clothes, whence the said air-currents will i then, pass threugh ether" discharge sp out '31 into the. condenser andthencemfi-nal ly. discharge through? the? flue 36. The clothes will accordingly; abe ithoroughly. aeratedfor removingtheodors of any-cleamingmfiiuids therefrom. .Asdswelhknewnasuch cleaning fluids are ..usually. f a volatile naturerland the: condenser 32 is accordingly provided. so

. that vapors from the said fluids may gbemonnected Within the said :condensen to-be \reclaimed 1 thereby. I v

Having thus 'described: thelinven tion, What is claimed. as. new. ;is

1 In mechanism-OfIfthe-Ueharacter-odescrlbed, a driven shaft; a friction- -disk,--; a

1 rock lever, a bra'ke-band-arrangedto cosaid lever tQ PIOVIdQ a Wear.stripe-therefor, :anda second lever. mounted toengage the operate With. said: disk and secured. to. the

\ Wear stripf for pivoting 'the firstalever. to

" 'tension'the brake bandabout the said disk andpontrol the rotary movement of the said rashaft.

v 2. A device of the character described including 'drivenshaft, a 'disk carried by the shaft, a pivotally mounted lever, a brake 'bandarranged about the disk,one extremity of-sa=id-band beingfixed .and. the other exhtremity thereof being secured to the inner extremity of said lever at one side of its pivot point, theclatterextremity of the band :-being extended. alongethe leveretmthe' op- -posite side of-itspivotwpoi-nt to provide. a wear'strip for. the lever,.'and means arranged veto cooperate Withtheleverat the .latter' side of its. pivot-point :and engaging said i Wear ..strip:f fortensionimgthe brake band about .-the-disk to control therotary' movement of the shaft. I

3.1m mechanism nof the character described, the combination with aabasegof. a driven shaft projecting beneath the :base, a pivoted.leverumounted.beneath the base,- a brake band. iconnected with the :said. lever and arranged to cooperate With saidishaft and second lever mounted. :above: thevbase .cand' projecting.therebeneath. to cooperate Withthe 'first.lever,:the secondlever being operable for. pivoting the first lever to .ten-

.sion the :brakeband about the shaft for controlling the. rotary movement of the shaft.

In testimony whereof weaflix our signatures.

.. JONAS .A. SPARKS. Lje CHAR-LESLIE. CLARK. he WILLIAM M. CLARK. he

Go pies of, this patent,.ma'y. be'iobtainedior. five cents'each, ,by addressing the Commissioner"ofl'atents, "Washington; D. C. 

